I received an email today. I NEVER forward chain mail however this is a good piece of knowledge [we learned some similar stuff in my EMT class] to post for those of you that care:

 

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

 

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

 

It only takes a minute to read this...

 

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

 

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

 

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

 

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

 

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

 

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

 

T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE(Coherently) (I.e. It is sunny out today)

 

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

 

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their Tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other

 

That is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! And describe the Symptoms to the dispatcher.

Just fwiw, not all chain letters are COMPLETE garbage regardless of the truth value of the story behind it: http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/stroke.asp

Thanks!

 

I live with my elderly father and it's good to know I can do a spot check if I ever suspect something.

Now we know, and knowing is half the battle.

Now we know, and knowing is half the battle.

Yo Joe!

 

When we check for stroke, we hold both hands and ask the patient to squeeze hard. If they suffered a stroke they will have little to no strength in one of their hands. We also check for equal pupil dilation.